Notes from a Natural Way of Life

Notes from a Natural Way of Life

‘We need the tonic of wildness…[w]e can never have enough of nature.’ Written around 170 years ago, these words appear in Henry David Thoreau’s account of a two-year experiment of living in and off nature. Walden; or a Life in the Woods is a classic text in Western nature writing. Thoreau’s narrative of life beside a secluded lake underpinned the central belief of Transcendentalism: that immersion in nature is a deeply spiritual, enriching and sustaining experience.

Yet Thoreau’s discovery was nothing new, for this is a wisdom that the First Nations peoples of the world have always lived and understood. The wisdom of reciprocity: we care for nature and nature cares for us. Indeed, with this approach, nature can never be considered ‘other’ or separate, but something to which we all belong.

But perhaps the pressures of modern life don’t always allow time for us to respect and practise our individual and collective versions of this wisdom, this essential health-giving and life-giving closeness and connection with the natural world. Sometimes we need to nurture our connection as an intentional act. So at Koala Eco, we’ve been asking, how do people actually do this? 

Welcome to Minding Nature, where we talk to people whom we’ve encountered on our Koala Eco journey: people we believe genuinely live and breathe a nature-focused lifestyle. People who prioritise their connection to nature because it brings healing, beauty, peace, and meaning to their lives. These are their practices and experiences. Perhaps they can inspire some of ours, too.    

← Older Post Newer Post →

The Sunday Reset - Inspired by Peppermint [Mentha piperita]

The Sunday Reset - Inspired by Peppermint [Mentha piperita]

A guide to embracing the new week  Fresh. Brisk. Clarifying.  Known as the refocus oil, peppermint is crisp, cool, and awakening. Its scent clears mental...

Read more
Are you a ‘moss girl’? The art of the slow surrender to nature

Are you a ‘moss girl’? The art of the slow surrender to nature

It started on social media (where else?) but there is something to this practice of ‘girl mossing’ that’s worth taking a look at.  First of...

Read more
Nature as Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Nigma Talib

Nature as Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Nigma Talib

Dr. Nigma Talib is a renowned naturopathic doctor, and author, known for her integrative, inside-out approach to health and beauty. Dr. Talib brings both science...

Read more
Tuning into trees

Tuning into trees

How forest bathing has life-changing potential  You’ve probably heard of forest bathing; in fact, this practice may be a regular part of maintaining your connection...

Read more
‘We belong to this land’[1]

‘We belong to this land’[1]

How we’re inspired by Australia Australia. It’s home to the oldest continuous human culture in the world. There’s archaeological evidence, through rock art, tools and...

Read more
The many ways of connecting to nature

The many ways of connecting to nature

I thought of happiness, how it is wovenOut of the silence in the empty house each day And how it is not sudden and it is...

Read more